FY 2022 COPS Technology and Equipment Program Invitational Solicitation | O COPS 2022 171227

Opportunity Information: Apply for O COPS 2022 171227

The FY 2022 COPS Technology and Equipment Program Invitational Solicitation is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Justice through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The COPS Office is the DOJ component focused on advancing community policing nationwide by providing grants and practical information resources to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement. Over time, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to support community policing, including awards to more than 13,000 agencies that helped fund the hiring and redeployment of over 135,000 officers. The solicitation sits within that broader mission by emphasizing practical technology, equipment, and communications improvements that strengthen day-to-day policing and community safety outcomes.

Legally, the program is rooted in longstanding federal public safety authorities, including the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (as amended) and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, along with the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103). A key feature of this particular FY 2022 funding round is that it is tied to Congressionally designated community projects described in the Consolidated Appropriations Act materials. Specifically, the explanatory statement incorporated into Public Law 117-103 directs funding for a law enforcement technologies and interoperable communications program and related public safety equipment, and it lists the projects and dollar amounts that are eligible for support under this solicitation.

Programmatically, the funding is intended to help eligible entities develop and acquire effective law enforcement equipment, technologies, and interoperable communications capabilities that support crime response and crime prevention. The central goal is to increase community policing capacity and strengthen crime prevention efforts by giving agencies tools that improve police effectiveness and improve the flow of information among law enforcement, local government service providers, and the communities they serve. In practice, this is about investments that make it easier to coordinate, communicate, and share information in ways that support public safety while aligning with community policing principles.

This solicitation is invitational and tightly scoped: funds can only be used for the specific projects designated for funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103). The COPS Office also notes it cannot approve changes to the project scope as it appears in the explanatory statement, meaning applicants are essentially expected to apply to carry out the project as designated rather than proposing a substantially different approach. Any equipment acquired with grant funds is expected to meet applicable requirements of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Law Enforcement Standards when those requirements apply, reinforcing a focus on recognized performance and standards for law enforcement technologies and equipment.

The solicitation reflects broader DOJ and COPS Office priorities beyond equipment procurement. The COPS Office states a commitment to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and others impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety, addresses evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. Applicants should expect these priorities to shape how the program is administered and how funded projects are expected to be carried out and documented.

In terms of timing and administration, awards are issued with a period of performance beginning March 15, 2022, which is the enactment date of the DOJ Appropriations Act, 2022. The solicitation allows for a form of pre-award cost flexibility: costs incurred on or after March 15, 2022, but before an award is issued and the project budget is approved may be reimbursed, but only at the applicant’s own risk and only to the extent those costs are later approved by the COPS Office. This is an important caveat for budgeting and procurement planning because it permits early action but does not guarantee reimbursement unless the final approved budget authorizes those expenditures.

From the posted opportunity data, this is a grant (funding instrument type: Grant) in the law, justice, and legal services category, listed under CFDA/Assistance Listing number 16.710. The opportunity number is O-COPS-2022-171227. It was created April 26, 2022, with an original closing date of June 21, 2022. The award ceiling is listed as $8,245,000, and the solicitation anticipated 121 awards, consistent with the fact that this round is designed to support a set of designated projects rather than a wide-open competitive pool. Eligibility is broadly described as including state, local, tribal, territorial, and other entities, but the practical eligibility is constrained by the designated-project structure in the appropriations explanatory statement.

Finally, the solicitation incorporates the FY22 COPS Technology and Equipment Program Reference Guide by reference. That guide is meant to lay out key award terms and conditions and other requirements applicants need to understand before applying, effectively serving as a companion document that governs many of the compliance and implementation expectations for grantees.

• The Department of Justice, Community Oriented Policing Services in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2022 COPS Technology and Equipment Program Invitational Solicitation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.710.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 26, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 21, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $8,245,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 121 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O COPS 2022 171227

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